Sheriff: 1 Dead, 1 Jailed After SUV Falls Into The Kettle River

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A man is dead and another is in jail after an SUV plunged into a river Monday in northern Minnesota.

The Pine County Sheriff's Office says a 911 caller reported around 4 p.m. that a vehicle fell into the Kettle River near the city of Willow River, which is about 50 miles southwest of Duluth.

First responders found the vehicle, a Ford Escape, in about 14 feet of water. A dive crew recovered one of the passengers, a 47-year-old man, from inside the vehicle.

The victim's name was not released, pending notification of family.

The SUV's driver and another passenger were able to escape the vehicle and get out of the river.

Deputies arrested the driver, identified only as a 48-year-old man, on suspicion of criminal vehicle operation.